Review: Milani Color Statement Lipsticks - reds & oranges

Many of us have been eagerly awaiting Milani's new Color Statement lipsticks, which are replacing the original Milani lipsticks. I recently received the reds and oranges for review (I'll be reviewing the other shades later down the line), so let's take a look.

Milani Color Statement Lipsticks

(retail: $5.49 each, 0.14 oz)

From the Milani website:

Make a statement without saying a word!  True Instant Color. One stroke, full coverage application. This next generation lipstick gives the ultimate in color, texture and finish.  The lightweight creamy formula contains Vitamins A, C, & E to moisturize and nourish lips. Paraben-free. Available in Vinyl, Metallic, Cream, Shimmer, Pearl & Matte finish.

 To view the ingredients lists for this collection, click here.

Keep reading for my full review...

These lipsticks are made in the USA and they have a safety seal/sticker that extends across the opening.

For once, I'm glad that my lips are currently dry and chapped, because I think you can see which shades are the creamiest and which make my lips look the smoothest. Take a look:

 (no lip liner was used for any of these photos)

Sweet Nectar: true orange creme (no trace of coral to this one)

Orange-gina: shimmery/metallic light peachy-orange

High Voltage: red creme with orange undertone

 Red Label: red creme with subtle blue undertone

 Cherry Crave: warm red with fine orange-gold shimmer

Best Red: neutral red creme

Ruby Valentine: red creme with slight blue undertone

Looking at the pics above, I think it's easy to see that the creme shades are quite creamy and "fill in" the dryness of my lips to create a smoother-looking surface. The two shimmery/metallic shades, Orange-gina and Cherry Crave, tend to accentuate my dryness a bit.

Texture and consistency: The creamiest lipsticks I've worn in quite some time. These lipsticks are buttery smooth and feel delightful on the lips. The lipsticks with a creme finish are more "cushiony" than the shimmers/metallics but, on the whole, these feel like a million bucks on the lips and they're quite hydrating as well. Of all seven shades covered in this post, my favorite in terms of texture is High Voltage, because for some reason this shade is extra creamy, buttery and cushion-y. It honestly feels like a $25 lipstick when you're applying it to the lips (the others feels amazing as well, but for some odd reason High Voltage feels extra-special to me).

Pigmentation and finish: Absolutely no issues with pigmentation here--they are all fantastic and richly pigmented. The finishes vary, of course--two of these shades are shimmery/metallic. The remaining shades are all cremes that have some shine to them, but I would not consider any to be glossy (or matte, for that matter). 

Staying power: I can get about 3-4 hours of wear from these lipsticks before I start to see major fading. I have not experienced "ring around the lips" when these fade though--they all fade pretty evenly and leave a nice, soft stain behind.

Flavor and fragrance: A wonderful improvement over the old style Milani lipsticks. These new lipsticks smell like watermelon and taste like watermelon as well. Both the flavor and fragrance are medium-strong. The fragrance seems to dissipate within a few minutes after application, but I can still taste the flavor of these lipsticks for about 15-20 minutes after application.

Packaging: I love the streamlined look of these lipstick tubes. The lids snap firmly in place and I appreciate that the bottom of the tube is a quite accurate representation of the actual lipstick color. The only downside to the packaging is that fingerprints do show up easily on the tube (you can wipe them away pretty easily though, with a cloth, etc.).

FINAL VERDICT: I absolutely love these lipsticks. They're very creamy, velvety and super hydrating, and the cremes in particular feel nice and cushion-y on the lips (to the point of almost feeling decadent). These lipsticks feel and look like higher-end lipsticks and I'm having a hard time believing such a lovely formula only retails for $5.95. The pigmentation is beautiful and you won't need to build for intensity--these are pretty much perfect after one application. The only negative thing I can think of is that, if you're quite sensitive to fragrance/flavor in your lip products, these might be a bit too strong for you. But other than that, I think these are wonderful and I've been rocking red lips since the day I received them. I can't get enough and I'm so excited to try the other shades in the range.

Milani Color Statement Lipsticks can be purchased on the Milani website. They should also be available soon at CVS, Kmart, Target, Walgreens and wherever else Milani is sold in your area.

Please stay tuned for my review of the ColorStatment Lip Liners, coming soon. In the meantime, have you spotted the new Milani Color Statement Lipsticks in your area yet? Thoughts?

 A sample of this product was given to Nouveau Cheap for editorial purposes, either directly from the manufacturer or from the agency that works on behalf of the manufacturer. All reviews on NouveauCheap.blogspot.com are the honest opinion of its author and editorial samples do not, in any way, affect the outcome of product reviews.